Field Experience Requirements (Field Hours, Practicum, Internships, Student Teaching)
According to state and local requirements, as well as NLU’s commitment to ensuring safe and healthy pre-clinical and clinical experiences, NLU graduate program requires all candidates who engage in school-based learning have an Illinois State Police Criminal Background Fingerprint Check, a TB test, and a Certificate of Completion with the Department of Children and Family Services Mandated Reporter Training. Upon completion of these requirements, providing there is “no record” from the background check, a negative TB test, and a Certificate of Completion, candidates are eligible to be placed in a school.
Listed below are more details about these requirements.
- Teacher candidates are asked to please collect copies of the Illinois State Background check, TB test (Mantoux Method), and Certificate of Completion for Mandated Reporter in their entirety before submitting them to their Academic Advisor. Students are responsible for submitting to schools or districts considering placement and for all field observation hours at the request of a school. Students should carry all originals when visiting schools.
- Criminal background checks must be completed by the due dates required for your program. Please use the NLU UCIA Criminal Background Check (CBC). Candidates cannot begin any field experience without a “passed” background check. Locations and fingerprinting times are posted on the Accurate Biometrics website. Candidates are responsible for all fees and the results must be sent to the students’ email or home address. NOTE: Some school districts may require their own background check prior to student teaching. This may be in addition to the background check that you do for NLU. If you are an employee of a school district, you may give evidence of your employment CBC if it is current. Chicago Public Schools has one process for field experience applications and another for student teaching applications.
- A candidate may not be placed in any school if the background check determines that he or she has been convicted of criminal behavior that, by law, automatically prohibits him or her from attaining Illinois licensure. The offenses that automatically prohibit licensure include first degree murder, any Class X felony, juvenile pimping, soliciting a juvenile prostitute, exploitation of a child, obscenity, child pornography, criminal sexual assault, aggravated sexual criminal assault, criminal sexual abuse, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, some offenses set forth in the Cannabis Control Act, and some crimes defined in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. The NLU MAT Policies and Procedures for Submission of Background Check for Licensure can be found here.
- In the event that no district will accept a student because of his or her criminal history, Academic Advisors will assist the student in choosing an alternative course of study. There is no guarantee that courses will be transferable between programs and no financial reimbursement will be given.
- In some cases, a school district may require record of an additional physical examination by a licensed physician or evidence of health insurance. The teacher candidate will be responsible for providing this documentation.
The following criteria must be met to start the linked placement practicum and student teaching in the Traditional M.A.T. Programs (Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades and Special Education), Teacher Resident M.A.T. Programs (Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education) and Accelerated Early Childhood Education programs:
- A score of at least 220 on the content test, verification of the score is required
- A GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Successful completion of field experiences and practicums with no unresolved student support plans
- Satisfactory Disposition Assessments
- All checks in SONIA completed by the due dates
Alternative Teacher Licensure Graduate Programs (programs issuing an Alternative Provisional Educator License-APE); M.A.T. Secondary Education, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education Alternative and Special Education.
The following criteria must be met before the APE is issued:
- A passing score 240 on the content test (required for admission to the program)
- A GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Successful completion of field experiences and practicums with no unresolved student support plans
- Satisfactory Disposition Assessments
Passing the content test is not required for degree completion but is required for licensure for the programs listed above.
Many student teaching field placements are linked with practicum hours for two quarters (fall/winter or winter/spring). All candidates for initial teacher licensure must successfully complete a student teaching experience of a minimum of 10 weeks in the classroom at an assigned school.